


The Tale of Princess Kaguya

by PlumTea



Series: Plumtea SASO Fills [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, Kitagawa Daiichi, M/M, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-15 22:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11815170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlumTea/pseuds/PlumTea
Summary: Oikawa is too brilliant to be human. It might be futile, but Kageyama knows this is the perfect chance to learn from an immortal.





	The Tale of Princess Kaguya

**Author's Note:**

> "But remember, there are two ways to dehumanize someone: by dismissing them, and by idolizing them."  
> \- David Wong

Kageyama's parents always tell him fairy tales when he's tucked into bed and about to fall asleep. He rolls the small plush volleyball between his hands, and listens to his mother read from the latest picture book. Tonight is the tale of Kaguya, the moon princess who fell to earth and was found in a bamboo tree. The woodcutter's daughter, whose luck and talent brought wealth and blessings wherever she went.  
He's in middle school now, grown up enough to know that rabbits don't live on the moon and spiders aren't hiding underground to snatch up any unlucky children. But when Kageyama first watches Oikawa smash a serve across the court, he thinks— this is a person who's come from the heavens.  
  


* * *

   
Oikawa is brilliantly talented. His serves miss just as many times as they hit, but when they land, the thud across the gym floor echoes in Kageyama's ears. Oikawa works harder than anyone, he unites the team, he stuns Kageyama's heart every time he's on the court.  
Kageyama's not sure if he's worthy enough to be in Oikawa's shadow, but he likes it there. He likes looking across the court to see Oikawa bathed in the sun.  
He wants to be just like that man.  
It's a little nervewracking, but he holds his volleyball in front of his chest, a small barrier that he can control, and shuffles up to Oikawa.  
"Oikawa?"  
When Oikawa turns to look at him, Kageyama hesitates, not sure of what form to give his desire. He holds out the ball, worn and scratched up from many practices, and finally says, "Can you teach me how to serve?"  
  


* * *

   
Oikawa says no, but Kageyama expected that. Kaguya gave her unwanted suitors impossible tasks to get them to give up. Immortals are tricky like that, but Kageyama knows the trick. He can't force the way to perfect serve out of Oikawa, so he just has to be persistent.  
He knows persistence.  
  


* * *

   
One time, Kageyama strains his ankle and has to stay behind after practice. As the team captain, Oikawa waits with him until Kageyama's parents can come pick him up. They sit on the gym steps together, watching the sun bleed red into the sky. Oikawa chomps on a popsicle that Iwaizumi bought him earlier. He doesn't offer a bite to Kageyama.  
Kageyama's suddenly aware of how unsightly his knees look, scraped and bruised. He pulls them together, trying to tuck them under his uniform.  
"I have a question."  
Oikawa eyes him suspiciously. "What?"  
He wonders what sort of thoughts an immortal has. _Do you like living here? What's it like, serving the ball across the court like that? Do you see the way normal people do?_  
A shade of sunset washes over Oikawa's face. _Have you always been this beautiful?_  
He thinks of Kaguya, and how she was her most brilliant when the citizens of the moon came to whisk her away. Immortals aren’t meant to be on Earth, they're just visitors.  
“You’re not going away, are you?”  
Oikawa’s nose scrunches up as he frowns. “Where am I going?”  
“I don’t know. Far?”  
“And _why_ am I going to be going away again?”  
“Because you can’t stay here, doing this forever, right?”  
Dust floats in the dying light. Oikawa’s eyes go hard, and his white teeth flash. “You think so?” he says, and Kageyama’s fingers feel cold. “I’m not going anywhere.”  
“Oh. That’s good.”  
Oikawa scoffs, taking another bite out of the popsicle. Blue juice runs down his fingers, like he'd dipped them in the night sky. "Your head's always empty, Tobio-chan."  
"Tomorrow, can you teach me how to—"  
"No," is the quick response, snappy and final.  
A perfected serve is just as good as a dragon's jewel. Kageyama will reach that peak one day, he knows it. Volleyball is all he loves, after all, just volleyball and...  
  


* * *

   
"Please teach me," he asks, one night after practice.  
Oikawa looks at him, and Kageyama's stunned by the hate simmering in his gaze.  
The incident ends without a tragedy, but when Kageyama stumbles to his locker, he wonders over and over again what he did wrong.  
  


* * *

   
But in the end, Oikawa isn't from the heavens. He was born here, on Earth, the same place where Kageyama was born. They walked on similar concrete, ate similar food, and went to the same school.  
Human, just like the rest of them. No shining robe is going to heal the wounds on Oikawa's heart.  
It was an accident, though. He didn't mean it. The way Oikawa comes in the next day, a bandage over his nose but acting like nothing happened, makes it seem like a hazy dream.  
He wonders if he should apologize. He realizes just as quickly that he doesn't know how to.  
Maybe if he fights with all he can, maybe if he's a good opponent, then Oikawa will know how he feels. Maybe then—


End file.
